RAINFALL IN DORSET. 89 



Here it will be noticed that, having regard to the time of year, 

 January, February, May, July, and August, were wet months, 

 that the autumn was fine and dry, and that in December the 

 rainfall was nearly normal. For the 49-year period, 1856-1904, 

 the average rainfall, ascertained by assigning the same value to 

 each year's return, independent of the number of stations, is 

 33*769 inches. 



With regard to individual stations, the greatest amount, 

 43*44 inches, was registered at Cattistock ; the smallest, 

 26*28 inches, at Buckhorn Weston. The latter had not only 

 the smallest rainfall in the county, but it was relatively the 

 dryest station, the ratio to the average annual fall being 92*18. 

 Other places with a small proportionate fall are Winterbourne 

 Houghton, with a percentage of 93*04; Melbury, 95*25; 

 Gillingham, 96*27 ; and Beaminster, 96*32. On the other hand, 

 the following are the largest proportionate falls recorded : 

 Wimborne, 117*16; Bridport (Coneygar), 114*42; Dorchester 

 Waterworks, 110*15. Cattistock, with the largest fall, had only 

 an excess of 3*16 per cent, beyond the normal. 



There was no record of 2 inches having been measured in 

 24 hours in any part of the county. The heaviest fall registered 

 was 1*88 inch at Longthorns, Winterbourne Whitchurch, on 

 25th July. At ten stations the rainfall did not amount to i inch 

 on any one day during the year, but a fall of i inch, or over, is 

 recorded on 23 different days during the year. The heaviest 

 and most general fall occurred on the 2gth July, upwards of 

 an inch having been registered at 15 different places on that 

 day. 



The omission this year of the names of two observers must be 

 noticed with much regret, namely, those of the Rev. G. H. 

 Billington, at Chalbury Rectory, and Mr. Oliver Farrer, at East 

 Stoke. The former had kept a record since 1865, and his death 

 removes a most careful and reliable observer, and breaks a long 

 record an event which is always to be greatly deplored. To 

 make up for these and other losses, the names of eight new 

 stations appear in the tables, but from two of them only partial 



